


Living With The Dark Lord

by fluffy_koi



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Comfort, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insecure Soda Kazuichi, M/M, Mioda Ibuki and Tanaka Gundham Are Siblings, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Soda Kazuichi Being Dumb, Soulmates, gundham comforts him tho, gundham is nd, he stims bc fuck you, i love them sm, im having sm fun with this please, it starts as angst, its mostly fluff tho. mostly, please he gets so insecure, please theyre so dumb, so does soda, step siblings to be exact dont think abt it too much, you cant tell me otherwise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:13:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28798206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffy_koi/pseuds/fluffy_koi
Summary: this is kinda just 1 big ongoing story, almost like a collection of oneshots all connected, idk man im just doing my thing, comfort ship/hyperfixation go brrrrworking on getting back into the swing of writing :] updates will be pretty consistent
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Soda Kazuichi/Tanaka Gundham
Comments: 11
Kudos: 42





	1. Unworthy

**Author's Note:**

> so this will also include other ships but i didnt tag it with them bc theyre not the main focus, other ships are:  
> -teruteru and nekomaru  
> -leon and yasuhiro  
> -nagito and hajime  
> -gonta and ryoma  
> -mikan and ibuki  
> -kiibo and shuichi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaz feels unworthy of being Gundham's partner, which leads to some comforting words of reassurance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhh,, angst in the first part and a mention of his dad but theres a tw before it B]

Tears are falling from Kazuichi Soda’s eyes tonight. Large, burning tears that seem to rip the air from his lungs and set fire to his shaky, weak body. He’s trembling, curled up on his hands and knees on his bedroom floor. He hasn’t cried like that since he was a child. He’s an adult now, barely into his twenties. Soda remains there, sobbing and dry-heaving, his body shaking. Kazuichi’s face burns red with some sickening mixture of shame, embarrassment, and hurt. His mind flashes back to moments like these he’d have as a child and the thoughts make his stomach churn more. 

He tries to tell himself that he doesn’t know why he’s crying, but his body betrays him. It knows exactly why. Why else would his ribs feel so crushed with grief? Why else would every shaking, desperate inhale feel like breathing in thick, dense cobwebs of misery? His own body makes sure he cannot take comfort in the empty shell of a promise that Kazuichi doesn’t know why he’s crying. 

Soda has only been involved with Gundham romantically for just over a month and the self-doubt was already creeping in. Slithering in his stomach like a giant worm, writhing and squirming. Soda didn’t have a particularly strong opinion on worms, but this one makes him feel sick and anxious, heavy with clouded, unwelcome thoughts of the relationship going very far south. 

(Abuse mention tw!! Just for this lil paragraph)  
Kazuichi’s father would sneer at the pathetic state he’s in now. He’d sneer and resort to his fists once again-- that is if the vile, seemingly omnipotent man hadn't killed him already for his attraction to Tanaka. 

His father is gone. This is not high school. He is an adult, he tells himself. _'My dad can’t fuckin’ control me anymore.'_ This is not a time to be thinking of his father. 

Soda sits up, now kneeling on the floor, and wipes his eyes with his quivering arm. He attempts to swallow around the large snail of anguish that had made it’s home in his throat, only resulting in coughs and sputters. He smacks his chest, heaving out large, labored breaths. Tears stop rolling from his eyes, and he lets out one bittersweet laugh of appreciation that he had already taken his contacts out. _"Hah."_

Head in his hands, Kazuichi rocks back and forth, the motions reminding him again of his childhood, but not enough to make the man stop. He rocks himself, body heavy and tense, almost as if he were in a tight embrace from some cruel deity of torment. His body feels constricted and tight, so much so that as tears well up in his eyes again and his ears pop, the sound of the door opening and a voice he once found soothing is not heard.

Tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and shoulders tensed tight, Kazuichi starts crying again. The tears are not near as suffocating, but still burn his tender eyes. Gundhams voice calling out for his partner is not heard over Soda’s sniffles and coughs. 

Tanaka, however, senses a wrongness in the air. The atmosphere is dense and heavy, weighing on the tall, stoic man like a large blanket of anguish smothering Gundham, who had just gotten off of work. Small noises from Kazuichi’s room confirm his suspicion that his lover is crying. His heart sinks with every slow step towards the door Soda hides behind. 

He tries the doorknob. Locked. Gundham wouldn’t expect anything less from his beloved, who instinctively locks doors behind him as he stepped into the room, leaving no chance for anything potentially harmful to enter as soon as the door shut. Soda is very protective of himself. Knowing why sends an ache to Tanaka’s heart, as if someone had squeezed it with a cold, metal gauntlet. 

A soft knock sounding at Kazuichi’s door makes him jump back and wipe his eyes quickly. He finally manages to swallow that pesky lump in his throat, though residue remains like viscous slime, coating his mouth and esophagus with aching desolation. 

“Kazuichi,” Tanaka’s voice reaches the trembling man from the other side of the door. The sound makes Soda’s heart swell with hopefulness, which is quickly shot down and destroyed when he realizes Gundham’s voice was congested with worry. This brings more stinging tears to his raw, aching eyes. _'Fuck. I made him sad.'_

“Kazuichi, my love-” Gundham clears his throat before continuing, “please, my dark king, open the door. Let me relinquish what is tormenting you.” Gundham’s forehead is resting on the door, his voice deep and soft, though it conveys how hurt he feels that his other half is in so much agony.

There is a silent, stifling moment where Tanaka can hear Soda start to object, then cough, then a few more seconds before Gundham hears the click of the lock being released. Immediately, Gundham slips into the room and takes Kazuichi into his arms, sinking to his knees. “Oh, darling…”

Soda half-heartedly pushes him away, his eyes blurry with those hot, burning tears. He coughs out sobs and trembles, lightly tapping Tanaka with clenched fists. “Go away…” His voice shakes and the words themselves bring him to cry harder. 

Kazuichi’s words shoot an icy, sharp pain to Gundham’s chest, but he only holds him closer, closing his own eyes tight to prevent tears from falling out. He takes a deep, only slightly quivering breath before choosing his next words carefully. “My dearest Kazuichi, please… Please tell me what happened to upset you so, let me take the burden from your shoulders and let it dissipate.” 

The soft words alone dripping from Gundham’s mouth like honey are enough to have the man in his arms breathe again. Soda shudders in deep breaths and tries his hardest not to exhale in a burst, knowing it would be much more beneficial to breathe steadily. 

This all made him feel guilty and stinging, burning tears fell faster from Kazuichi’s eyes. “I don’t… deserve you…” He chokes out, voice wavering, scratchy, and raw with pure, unfiltered emotion. 

Gundham feels as if his heart is being constricted again. His brows furrow and he squeezes Soda gently, letting his partner curl up and sob in his arms. “Kazuichi… why would you say such lies…? These words are like knives, my dark king, cold and unnecessary, what has gotten into you, my darling…?”

Gundham’s voice and what he was saying starts to calm Soda down again, the tears slow their relentless journey from his eyes and his throat seems to open enough to speak. “I’m… I’m just a fuckin’ mechanic… you- you coulda’ had a fuckin’ princess and you chose a mechanic. You’re completely out- ou- out of my- my league and I just- I just-” another sob rips from his throat, his head resting against his boyfriend’s chest. 

Tanaka feels as if his heart stopped, sniffling softly. His brain works hard to conjure up words as easily as it does in other situations. Being completely at the mercy of having come up with nothing is nearly completely new to him, and creates a slithering feeling of unease in the pit of his stomach. “Kazuichi, you… you are _so_ much more than just a mechanic. I have _never_ met another individual with your- your _skill_ , you’re so _unbelievably_ talented, my Kazuichi, you do so much more than just… Oh, my dark king… My mind is plagued by the fear of ever losing you, just the- the _thought_ is enough to make my chest ache… I love you so dearly, Kazuichi, I don’t know what I would do without you in my life… Please, my darling, you are so… so dear to me, so precious, you are so much _more_ than just a mechanic.”

Soda says nothing, the stinging tears ceasing, just going limp in Gundham’s arms, absorbing and processing the words pouring out of his partner’s mouth, noticing how his voice was raw with sincerity. He nods slowly as his breathing starts to regulate, sniffling and rubbing his eyes. After a few long, weighty moments of silence accompanied by Tanaka rocking the both of them softly, Kazuichi speaks up, his voice gritty and scratchy, “I love you so much…” 

Gundham lets out a breath, tension slowly lifting from his body, leaving space for relief to wash in, like warm, cleansing water. “I love you too, my dark king. So, so much.”  
A small smile spreads on Soda’s face, his eyes red and inflamed, face red, splotchy, and wet. Tanaka cups his lover’s face and gently wipes his cheeks with his thumbs, careful not to put too much pressure as to not irritate Soda’s skin further. 

“Come, Kazuichi. I’ll make up dinner,” Gundham smiles, standing up, Kazuichi’s hand in his own. Complete adoration washes over him, just as relief had just a bit ago as Tanaka looks down at Soda, tucking a strand of his messy pink hair behind his ear. 

Kazuichi glances up at his boyfriend, smiling again as he spots how big Gundham’s pupils have grown. Little does he know his own expand as well as he stares into his partner’s eyes. Without realizing, Soda lets out an appreciative hum, making Tanaka’s smile grow. Gundham gently cups Soda’s face with his hand, middle finger under his ear, holding his jawline. He brings his paramore’s face closer and connects their lips softly in a tender, loving kiss.

Soda returns the kiss, running his fingers through Gundham’s soft hair, noticing that it’s been taken down from the funky updo he has it in normally. He left the house with it up this morning, and knowing Tanaka, he left it up all day at work, so he must’ve taken it down in the car or upon arriving home. 

Gundham, of course, took it down while walking up the stairs to their shared apartment. He did it for Kazuichi, knowing how much he likes to run his fingers through the shiny black and silver strands, just as he is doing now. Tanaka feels the slightly shorter man begin to braid a strand of his hair and the simple gesture brings a smile to both of their faces.

The pink-haired man’s face is scrunched up with concentration, tongue poking out from between his lips, captured between his shark-like teeth. He doesn’t realize any of this as his suitor stares on in adoration, taking in the captivating sight. Soda’s skin looks so soft, and Gundham notices a small, light dusting of freckles over the other’s nose and cheeks. 

The Dark Lord brushes over them tenderly with his thumb, his tough hands surprisingly delicate. This grabs Kazuichi’s attention, causing him to look up at his Romeo, pulling his tongue back into his mouth. He flashes a questioning look at Gundham, only causing his smile to grow. 

“You’re so pretty, my angel,” Tanaka purrs, his voice smooth and soft. 

This brings a slight warmth to Soda’s face, spreading a slight dust of pink over his cheeks. His eyes widen slightly before he flashes a toothy, sheepish smile, covering it with his hand. “That’s a high compliment, coming from you.”  
Gundham hates how Kazuichi hides his mouth. He adores his pink-haired lover’s smile. The way it’s slightly crooked, one side turning up more than the other. The way his teeth poke out under his lips if it’s small, but if the smile is big, all of his sharp teeth show. Tanaka loves it. He would do anything to be able to freely see Soda’s smiles for the rest of eternity. 

Regardless of the ache in his chest from Kaz’s gesture, Gundham lets out a soft chuckle, once again running his thumbs lightly over his boyfriend’s freckles, feeling the warmth in his cheeks. The action makes Soda’s hands fall and gives Gundham a full view of his smile. Tanaka’s heart soars. He clears his throat, “You have freckles, Kazuichi.”

Soda’s eyes widen once again, his face flushing darker. He pulls away and looks to the side, scratching his head. “Yeah… I usually cover them with concealer or don’t let people get close enough to see.”

Tanaka’s smile turned downwards into a slight frown. “Why?” He huffs. 

The pink-haired male raises an eyebrow, “Well, I got bullied for em, yunno? Made me look dumb, I guess.” He looks away, blushing a bit again. 

Gundham’s heart aches, his eyebrows furrowing upwards in a sad expression, his mind not even beginning to comprehend why someone could ever think of such precious little marks on such an otherworldly face as ‘dumb’. Tanaka adored each and every one and stared at them praisingly.

“That’s foolish, Kazuichi. Each small freckle is a mark from the Gods, blessedly bestowed upon your worthy face. Those who disagree are mere moronic mortals. Even lower than typical, ordinary mortals. They are scum. Mere vermin with nothing better to do but attempt to bring down those of higher rank,” Tanaka huffs, getting more intense with every word spat from his mouth like venom. 

Kazuichi’s face heats up again, more than last time. He knows his face is red, and the embarrassment makes it heat up more. Looking away, scratching his head again, he mutters, “You sure do think highly of me, huh?” followed by a small, slightly nervous laugh. 

“Of course I do, Kazuichi. You are my Dark King, my beloved, you will be forever cherished and held to the highest regard.” The tips of Gundham’s mouth turn up into a small, smug grin. He raises his eyebrows and closes his eyes, looking pleased at how flustered he’s made his other half. 

“Jeez, you really are quite a charmer, huh?” Kaz lets out a small laugh. “No wonder so many people fawned over you in high school.”

This brings a pink tint to Tanaka’s cheeks. “They did not, nobody ‘fawned’ over me.”

Soda looks Gundham in the eyes with an eyebrow raised, looking quite unamused. “I could have a whole list of people who fawned over you. You had people swooning.”

Gundham attempts to distract his lover by picking him up bridal style, cradling his head and legs, carrying him effortlessly as he walks to the kitchen. 

“Miss Sonia, Teruteru, those 4 girls from your science class in senior year, Teru, so many girls sophomore year, Sonia, that one weird kid from oral com, Teru, Sonia-” 

“You’ve listed Teruteru and Sonia more than once,” Tanaka states, setting his soulmate down onto the little island counter.

“I know.”

Gundham laughs a little, smiling at Kaz’s antics. He shakes his head lightly, cupping his beloved’s face. “And yet I only have eyes for you, my dark king.”

Soda's face heats up, the tips of his ears and his cheeks burning. Tanaka smiles, admiring the sight of his flustered boyfriend before him. 

"Let's- let's make dinner..."


	2. Change of Plans and Cleaning Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi bites his hands when nervous. Teruteru asks them to come over for dinner and Gundham cleans and bandage's his lover's wounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda shorter chapter bc i have a mouth surgery today- ill make up for it next chapter i promise B] for now please enjoy these idiots

Sitting on the counter, Kazuichi inspects his hands. They have small marks and even punctures from Kaz biting them. It’s a habit he’s been working hard to break. He chews on his hands and fingers when nervous, stressed, or overwhelmed. His hands are red and irritated, covered in the small abrasions.

Gundham, busy looking through the cabinets, doesn’t notice his lover softly prodding his hands and inhaling sharply at the tenderness. He shuffles through, moving around Kazuichi’s cup noodles, searching for something to make an adequate dinner of. 

Kaz’s phone chimes and he checks it immediately. It’s a message from Teruteru, asking him to bring Gundham over for dinner tonight. ‘Perfect timing.’ He messages back ‘ofc, omw soon’ taking note of how his flesh stings at movement. “Teru wants us to come over for dinner.”

Tanaka smiles and turns around, “Oh, that’s perfect!” 

Soda nods, looking down at his hands and probing the skin with his fingers, wincing

This time, Gundham notices. “Oh dear, Kazuichi!” He rushes over to his partner, gently holding his arms, examining the now flustered man’s chewed up hands. 

“My dark king, I’m so sorry I didn’t see this before, let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll take care of you, my angel.” 

The words bring heat to Kaz’s cheeks and ears, but Tanaka doesn’t have time to admire how he’s caused his lover’s face to go crimson, because he’s already shuffling around in his bathroom. Searching through the cabinets to find the materials he needs, he lets out a little sigh of annoyance when he can’t find the peroxide. 

He finally locates the bottle and carries it, along with the other materials, into the kitchen and sets them beside his romeo. 

Soda tenses up, wide eyes locked on the bottle of peroxide. Memories with his dad flash through his mind and his heart races. Kazuichi feels his hands start to tremble as he pulls them in close to his body and turns away, shielding his wounds. 

Gundham flashes a questioning look at Kaz.

“That- that’s gonna _hurt_ ” Soda croaks, eyes still glued to the black bottle. 

Tanaka lets out a breath, a small smile tugging at his lips as he brushes a strand of messy pink hair behind his dark king’s ear. “It will only sting for a mere few seconds, my darling angel, I, The Dark Lord Gundham Tanaka, give you my most sincere promise.”

The words coming from his lover’s mouth force a smile onto Soda’s face. He relaxes a little and nods, his voice sounding more steady. “Alright, babe, I trust you.”

“Good, thank you, my paramour,” Gundham purrs, the soft words making Kazuichi relax more, sending goosebumps over his body. 

“Paramour?” Soda blushes, raising an eyebrow. 

Tanaka smirks. He loves seeing his partner’s tan face flush from just his words alone. “Indeed.” Gundham soaks a cotton ball with the peroxide then tenderly holds one of Kazuichi’s arms. 

Soda averts his eyes, sticking them firmly onto the fridge behind Gundham. He can barely see it, as he took his eye contacts out a bit before he started crying earlier. Squinting, he focuses on trying to make the fridge appear as clear as he possibly can. 

While his soulmate is occupied with his blurry vision, the breeder quickly and confidently runs the peroxide-soaked cotton ball over the mechanic’s hands. The pink-haired man’s hands subconsciously pull away just slightly, but one glance up at his face tells Gundham that his lover didn’t even feel it. 

Tanaka looks back down, soaking another cotton ball with the antiseptic. Right as he brings the dripping wad of cotton to Kazuichi’s other hand, Soda looks down.

“Are you going to start or-” He draws a sharp breath through clenched teeth and Gundham worries for a moment about his gums, and wonders if the tips of his teeth dig into them. The breeder’s worry then shifts to Kazuichi’s hands, which he has drawn up to his chest again, eyes closed tightly. 

“Shit, that stings,” Soda rasps, his body tense. 

“Oh, my beau, my sincerest apologies, for it was never my intention to bring you pain. Please, my dear, let me finish my task in cleansing your wounds so that they may begin healing. My darling Kazuichi, we are nearly done, all that’s left to do is apply the-”

Kazuichi cuts him off with a soft kiss. He can tell his lover is getting very nervous, his vocabulary always grows when he’s anxious or feels threatened. That, along with how the taller man shifted his weight from one leg to the other and rubbed the cotton ball in between his fingertips, tells Soda that Tanaka truly feels bad for hurting him.

“Hey, you didn’t hurt me, it’s alright. Sorry for freakin’ out. You’re okay, no need to get nervous. Do whatever you need, alright?” Kaz offers a little smile, holding out his arms to his boyfriend. 

Gundham nods, visibly relaxing. His shoulders return to their natural resting spot and his arms no longer seem to hesitate. He quickly sanitizes his lover’s remaining wounds, taking note of the small hiss that escapes his partner’s mouth. 

Tanaka applies a bit of Aquaphor to the abrasions that need it before wrapping Soda’s hands with a bandage. It’s the same kind Gundham wraps his own arm with, breathable and light, so it won't bother the mechanic. 

Kazuichi’s tension instantly eases as Tanaka finishes. His hands are wrapped in a way that his fingers are exposed, palm and wrist covered. That’s where the bites are worse, so Kaz supposes it makes sense. He’ll just have to make sure to not bite his slender fingers. 

“C’mere, babe, I wanna hold you,” Soda coos, his arms opened to his soulmate, who was busying himself with cleaning up the cotton balls and drops of peroxide that had spilled. 

Gundham smiles, sliding in front of his lover and enveloping his paramour in his arms in one fluid motion. Kazuichi hums, admiring how smooth Tanaka’s movements are. They always have been.

Kaz’s legs, which were dangling off the counter, wrap around Gundham’s, pulling him close. Soda runs his fingers delicately through the breeder’s silky hair with one hand, the other cupping Gundham’s cheek. Tanaka squeezes his lover softly, letting out a content sigh. 

A phone buzzes, Kazuichi’s ringtone piercing the calm, comfortable quiet the couple had settled into. Kaz sighs and picks up his phone, holding it to his ear, his head resting on Gundham’s chest. “What’s up?”

“Kazuichi! You had me ‘n Maru worried to death! Are y'all alright?” Teruteru’s charming voice leaked from the phone.

“Shit, yeah, we’re good. Gundham and I got a little busy, we’ll head out soon.” 

“Ohohohoo, Kazuichiii~” Teruteru purrs, drawing out the last syllable. “Busy with what~?”

Kaz scoffs and rolls his eyes. “He was bandaging my hands ‘cus I was bitin’ on them again, it was nothing like that.”

“Oh,” Teruteru sounds disappointed. “Well, dinner’s ready. I made your favorite,” Soda can hear the smile in his voice. 

“Thanks Teru, we’ll head out that way soon, let us finish getting ready.” 

Teruteru hums a “Alrighty, darlin’” and hangs up. 

Kaz puts his phone back down, his arms snaking around his boyfriend’s waist. He'll get ready with Gundham in a moment. For now, he wants to remain just as they are, arms around each other, with no other sound than the comforting hum of their breathing. 


	3. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaz and Gundham have dinner with Teruteru and Nekomaru!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yO uhhh my surgery ended up getting moved to feb 2nd, it was just a mouth surgery to get rid of a certain tooth so i'm all good and recovering nicely! so. long chapter to compensate! full of lovey shit and gets a littlleee bit angsty with talk of parents.

Gundham Tanaka and Kazuichi Soda are ready. Almost. 

They stand in their shared room, Soda gazing at his boyfriend with admiration as the breeder applies his scar. Kaz would never have guessed it’s a fake tattoo. Up until around one week into their relationship, when Kazuichi stayed over at Gundham’s house for the first time, he still thought it was an actual scar. Soda lets out a soft chuckle at the memory.

Tanaka looks up at his partner from his seat at the vanity. With a wet washcloth over one of his eyes, the other with a red contact in and eyeliner, he is quite a sight. Soda laughs softly again, covering his smile with his hand. 

The breeder huffs and pulls Kaz’s hand away. In return, the mechanic looks up at him with a questioning expression, his smile falling away. 

“I want to see your smile, my dark king.” 

Soda wonders briefly why those simple words nearly brought tears to his eyes and made his heart soar. He brushes it off for the time being and responds, “What d’ya mean?”

“Your smile. You have a tendency to cover your mouth when you do and I want to help you break that habit. I enjoy how the action of smiling makes your face seem to glow and your eyes sparkle. I would like to see it more clearly, if I may be permitted, my beau.” He’s getting nervous, and Kaz can tell. 

Kazuichi puts a hand on his lover’s head, offering a small smile. “Alright babe, no need’ta get all anxious, I’ll let ya help.”

The words bring a big smile to Gundham’s face and he nods, looking back towards his mirror and carefully removing the washrag and the paper. 

“Ya know, you don’t gotta put all that on, it’s just Teru and Nekomaru.”

“Oh, Kazuichi, it is my duty as The Dark Lord to keep up my appearance around mortals, even friends.”

Soda raises an eyebrow, “Why don’t you have it on around me all the time?”

“Hm? Oh, by agreeing to be my partner, you have surpassed mortality. We are now one in the same. There is nothing keeping me from showing you my true face, as we are one.” 

Gundham must sense Kazuichi’s slight apprehension because he quickly adds, “Not literally, of course. I’ve passed the time in my life where I genuinely believed I was immortal. Now, when I say such things, I intend it in a more metaphorical way. It is easier for me to understand the world by looking at it how I do.”

Kaz nods, letting out a breath. He wouldn’t mind helping Tanaka if he still struggled with that, of course, but he wouldn’t even know where to start. Soda knows Gundham has always felt a disconnect from humanity, and the way he views the world has nearly always fascinated the pink-haired mechanic. “You’re good, babe, I know what you mean.” He flashes a smile.

Soda’s smile puts Gundham at ease and he allows one to spread onto his own face. He looks back into the mirror silently, debating on whether or not to pull his hair up. Kazuichi just watches on with fondness, taking in the sight before him. The way Tanaka’s hair frames his face so perfectly, his light eyebrows furrowed with concentration. The way his bottom lip is just _barely_ captured between his teeth. Oh, god, his teeth. Soda loves them. He briefly remembers in high school when Teruteru told him that he needed braces, but he and his mother couldn’t afford them.

The thought of Gundham’s mother brings a slight scowl to Soda’s face. From the bits he’s been told about her, both by Tanaka himself and what Teruteru has overheard, he has very strong feelings towards her. Kaz doesn’t hate her, his own mother had always said hate was too strong of a word to use in any context. No, he doesn’t hate her. But he really, _really_ doesn’t like her. 

Kazuichi’s focus turns back to his lover’s teeth. He had never paid much attention to them before he had started developing romantic feelings for the breeder, but he absolutely adored them. Some are crooked, only noticeable if you’re looking for it, and some are pointed. Some are chipped, supposedly from encounters with animals, and there’s one missing one near the back. You would never notice these things if you weren’t looking for them. 

Soda thinks they’re perfect. They’re unique and part of Gundham and how could he _not_ find them fascinating? Each and every small, seemingly insignificant part of Tanaka just fits so… so _perfectly_ and it drives Kaz mad. Every little detail seems to fit so perfectly with Gundham’s personality, his attitude, his presence. Almost like a machine, every gear, screw, wire - no matter how tiny - plays an important role in the function of the machine. Soda feels a quick tinge of guilt for comparing his lover to a machine. 

Gundham stands up. “I am ready, my consort.”

_Consort?_ Kazuichi thinks. _That’s new… I’ll need to look that up later._ “Well, let’s go.” Soda smiles, standing from his spot on the bed. Their bed. 

Kaz’s heart speeds up. Their bed. It’s all sinking in again, and it brings a warm flutter to his heat and an even warmer throb to his face. They share a bed. They share a room. They share an _apartment._

Soda doesn't notice, but his face is scrunched up, absorbed in his thoughts. Tanaka looks over at his paramour to say something but quickly stops, gazing at the boy’s face, aghast and trying to discern whether Kaz is unhappy or not.

Thankfully, at that moment, Kazuichi snaps back from his thoughts, meeting Gundham’s gaze. He tilts his head, confused as to why his boyfriend was looking at him like that.

Tanaka caught on. “Oh, I apologize, my beau, you merely looked as if… you were in pain, or maybe upset. It seems, though, you were just lost in thought, yes?”

Kaz lets out a breath and nods. “Yeah, that’s all babe, no need’ta worry.” He has to stop himself from covering his small smile with his hand.

The simple action, seeing Soda’s smile, seems to pump Tanaka’s heart with pure devotion. He stands up and brushes a strand of hair behind his pink-haired lover’s ear, smiling at him. “Are you ready, my dark consort?”

Kazuichi nods, his smile growing a bit. He leans his head into Gundham’s hand, prompting a surprised, joyful laugh from the breeder. 

“The way you brushed up into my hand, Kazuichi,” Tanaka explains at the mechanic’s questioning look, “it was as if you’re a dog!” 

Soda looks up at his boyfriend, holding back a laugh, an eyebrow raised. Gundham does this from time to time. At first he found it a bit strange, maybe demeaning, even. Slowly, though, he got accustomed to it and realized that it’s just a way Tanaka expresses affection. 

It’s how he expresses his higher affection. Animals are his livelihood and he believes them to be of higher importance than humans. Gundham thinks for a moment about how dog-like Soda is. He’s quickly jolted from his thoughts by steady, strong hands on his shoulders. 

His boyfriend is now behind him, looking at the two of them in the vanity mirror with a smile. One of Kaz’s hands moves to Tanaka’s cheek, rubbing it gently with his thumb. Gundham tenses up for a moment before leaning slightly into the touch, placing his hand over his lover’s. 

“Apologies, my paramour, I am ready now.”

“Naw, I’m not. I wanna hold you a little longer.” The pink-haired man smiles. 

“My beau, our friends are surely awaiting our arrival.” Tanaka returns Kazuichi’s smile, gazing at him through the mirror. 

Soda lets out a dramatic, joking sigh and lets go of Gundham, stepping to the bedroom door and pulling on a bright yellow zip-up hoodie. He leaves it open, exposing the white undershirt and baggy grey sweatpants, stained with oil and other miscellaneous spots. 

Gundham follows suit, clad in a plain grey t-shirt revealed by an unbuttoned black dress shirt and loose black jeans. He stands behind his partner, waiting to follow him. 

Kaz notes the difference in their stylistic choices and lets out a soft chuckle, smiling and walking to the front door. “Are you gonna leave the devas here?” 

Nodding, the breeder grabs his keys. “Yes, they were already asleep. I know better than to disturb their holy slumber.”

 _’Kay, they were sleeping when Gundham checked on em, got it._ Soda takes a mental note. Sometimes his boyfriend’s big words can confuse him. He nods at Tanaka, stepping through the door and into the cold, already dark, night. “It’s only, like, 6 and it’s already dark?”

Locking the door behind them and reaching out for Soda’s hand, Gundham nods. “Indeed. The seasons are changing, my dark king.” 

“Right.” Kazuichi takes the hand offered to him, walking down the stairs hand-in-hand with his soulmate. They get to Gundham’s car and Soda gets into the passenger seat, buckling the seatbelt. 

Tanaka follows suit and begins driving, making sure to check on Kaz throughout the whole ride. He searches for any indication that his other half is getting motion sick, as it’s something that comes very easily to the mechanic. 

Luckily, they arrive at Teruteru and Nekomaru’s house without complications. Soda’s stomach only lurched twice on the fifteen minute ride, so he chalks it up as a success.

The lovers step out and walk up to the door. Gudham places a few stern knocks on it, as he always does. It scared the shit out of Soda when they first started dating, so much so that Tanaka realized after he would knock, Kazuichi would let him in as fast as possible and seemed to be very… cautious. 

He figured out slightly later that the harsh-sounding knocking scared his lover a bit and made him think the dark lord was angry. Gundham figures it has something to do with his consort’s father, but never mentioned it, only made an effort to soften his knocking around Soda.

Teruteru quickly answers the door, a large smile on his flushed face. “You two took forever! Dinner’s almost ready, come in, come in!” He steps aside, leaving space for the couple to walk into the house. 

Instantly, the pair is greeted with the warm, comforting, savory smell of Teru’s cooking, the soft glowing light from the dimmed bulbs, and some chatter from the tv. Some true crime show like Forensic Files. Kaz takes a spot on the couch and Tanaka follows suit. 

Gundham rests his arm around his dark paramour, who leans into him and shuffles a bit to get comfortable. 

Teruteru closes the door behind them and walks in, going to the kitchen, chattering about his dinner choices. 

Humoring him with small phrased like “Oh yeah?” “Hmm…” “Mhm.”, Soda absentmindedly plays with his dark lord’s hair, happy he left it down.

“What you have spent your sacred time preparing for us sounds exquisite, Teruteru. Thank you very much for inviting us to partake in such a lovely meal,” Gundham says, accompanied by a small smile.

Waving his hand, beaming, his cheeks taking on a somehow pinker tint, Teruteru looks at the taller man from over the counter. “Pssshhh, it’s nothin’, pretty boy. We were wantin’ to invite ya for awhile now, it was just the perfect night for us.”

Gundham chuckles softly, closing his eyes and leaning into the love of his life. Said love is busying himself braiding strands of Tanaka’s hair, carefully including the silver strands to make it look balanced. Once he finishes, he carefully unravels his work and starts again. 

Tanaka looks back up at Teru, resting his free hand on Soda’s thigh now. “Where, may I ask, is our friend Nekomaru?”

“Bathroom, of course.” Teruteru lets out a small laugh, stirring a large pot. “Should be out soon.”

Gudham hums in response, tapping his fingers on his partner’s thigh in a certain pattern. It’s a habit he’s picked up, and Soda has gotten used to it. They each have repetitive behaviours they do to keep their energy regulated, as they find that they’re very susceptible to sudden changes in mood and such. These small behaviours like tapping, snapping fingers, braiding, etc. all help to keep the two grounded. 

Mikan had called the patterned behaviour stims but neither of the two had really paid attention all that much. Gundham had tried to, but they had been at a restaurant and Mikan’s words had brought back some bitter memories of his mother. She hadn’t meant to, of course, she couldn’t have even known. 

Plus, Tanaka’s mom liked to keep her ableism well hidden outside of their home. While inside, Gundham was subject to constant scrutiny about certain behaviours, which he later found were traits of autism. He never got diagnosed, for the fear his mother had instilled in him was deep-rooted. 

Kazuichi knew this. He was subjected to similar things in his own home, by his father. Slurs were thrown at the young pink-haired boy by his own dad just as often as his fists were. 

Gundham quickly clears his mind of such rancid thoughts, bringing his focus back to his lover’s surprisingly gentle fingers combing through his hair to start another braid. Tanaka begins to rub Soda’s thigh with his thumb, the fabric of the grey sweatpants moving slightly under his touch. 

Soda emits a hum, letting himself be held. He liked affection like this a lot. Less so in public areas, but in the comfort of their own home, or a close friend’s, gestures of love such as this made his heart swell. 

The two stay like that, with Kaz’s hands in Gundham’s hair and one of Gundham’s arms around the other’s back, the other draped over his legs, holding onto his outer thigh, rubbing gentle circles into it with his thumb. Soda’s elbows rest carefully on Tanaka to steady his hands. 

Sounds of cabinets opening and closing, clinking of dishes, can be heard from the kitchen, but the intertwined men on the couch don’t hear a thing. They’re in their own small bubble, unaware of anything happening around them. Tanaka’s eyes stick to the way Kaz’s shirt sleeve rides up due to the actions of his hands, exposing his biceps. Gundham watches the muscles move with awe.

A certain tall, large man emerges from the bathroom, clad in a white t-shirt and baggy blue pants. Stretching, the man groans with a smile, “That was a great shit!”

Kazuichi quickly snaps to attention, undoing what he had with the braid, his face taking on a soft pink tint and heating up. Even after a little over a month of dating, He still got embarrassed getting caught being so lovey with his boyfriend, who’s uttering a small laugh. 

Rolling his eyes, Kaz adjusts his position so that he can lean his head onto the side of his lover’s chest, looking to the side, blushing. “Well, Maru, you sure know how to enter a room,” He laughs. 

Nekomaru returns the laugh heartily, taking a seat on a recliner next to another one. Kaz assumes it’s where Teruteru sits. “I pride myself on my honesty! If it was a good shit, it was a good shit!”

Tanaka huffs out another laugh, squeezing his lover softly. “I’m surprised, Kazuichi, he has been like this since high school. Are you not accustomed to it by now, my dark king?” He brings the hand from around Kaz’s shoulder up to his hair, running his fingers through the messily layered strands. He cuts his own hair, even though Gundham offered to pay for a proper haircut. Soda claimed that he was the only one who could do it right. Tanaka finds it endearing. 

“I am, it’s just a lil’ jarring when you’re lovin’ up on your boyfriend and your friend barges in yellin’ about his shit,” Soda laughs, and so does Nekomaru. Teruteru can also be heard snickering in the kitchen. 

Nodding, Gundham laughs along, still holding his soulmate close, though the mechanic has shifted to sit up. A smile spreads on the dark lord’s face when Kazuichi’s hand finds its way to his thigh, almost gripping it softly. “I can see how that would be alarming,” he chuckles. 

Nekomaru shrugs and opens his grinning mouth to say something, but Teruteru comes into the living room, holding a tray that carries somewhat large bowls of soup. “Dinnertime!”

Soda’s eyes light up, instantly recognizing the soup as Teru sets the tray on the coffee table and hands out bowls and spoons. Gundham first, then to Kaz, then Maru. He takes a bowl and spoon for himself and takes his spot in the recliner by Nekmaru’s.

“Teru, is this that soup that Mama made us all the time?” Soda’s not covering his glowing smile, much to Gundham’s joy. Just seeing the beautiful expression on his lover’s face brings a similar grin to his own. 

Teruteru nods, stirring his bowl. “Yup, your favorite, Darlin’. Mama told me to tell you hello for her when I visited her the other day, she misses ya. Wants you to try to visit sometime with Tanaka,” he smirks, spooning a bit of the food into his mouth. 

Kazuichi’s eyes widen and his cheeks take on the pink tint from before, stopping with his spoon halfway to his mouth. “You- you told her…? About me ‘n Gundham?”

Tanaka and Maru just watch on, Gundham’s hands no longer around his lover but holding what Teru gave him instead. Their thighs are pressed together, Tanaka learned a long time ago that one of Soda’s love languages is touch so he tries to keep physical contact as much as possible. 

“Well, yeah, I knew she’d like ‘ta know, she’s very happy for you two,” The smallest man beams, spooning his soup into his mouth again. 

Kaz’s smile grows as he stirs his soup, seeming to be smiling to himself. “Well, tell her I’ll take him to the diner soon.” He takes a bite of the soup and hums, his eyes rolling back. “You make it exactly like she does, Teru.”

Anyone could tell the compliment meant the world to the chef, his eyes almost tearing up, his twinkling smile seeming almost too big to possibly be on such a small face. “Well, I practiced it a lot.”

Everyone continues to eat and laugh over casual banter, warm smiles plastered on their faces. The whole room buzzes with pure joy as their bowls slowly start to disappear. The soup fills and relaxes them, and as Kaz finishes, he places his bowl and spoon back on the tray and wraps his arms around Gundham’s abdomen, leaning into him and curling both of his legs around one of his, causing Tanaka to smile down at him and pat his head. Soda leans into the touch again.

Slowly, everyone finishes their dinner. Kazuichi and Gundham curl up into each other again, just like how they were before Nekomaru came from the bathroom, except this time Kaz’s arms are around his lover. 

“Aww, look at you two~,” Teru purrs, his chin resting on his hand, watching the couple snuggle. 

Soda rolls his eyes with a small smile, his cheeks flushing again. “You’ve always had a staring problem.”

Teru just hums in response, looking pleased and rubbing Nekomaru’s arm. 

Kazuichi’s phone buzzes. He picks it up and looks at it. It’s a message from Fuyuhiko. Being at Nekomaru’s house reminded him of what Hiko had discussed with Tanaka and Soda over a month ago.

Fuyuhiko and Nekomaru had hooked up a couple times and Fuyu was finally going to ask to progress the relationship into something more. After remembering Maru’s routine of jogging in the park, he made his way over. He found Nekomaru sitting on a bence. With Teruteru in his lap. They were kissing. 

They had started dating the day before that, almost a week after Maru and Hiko’s last hookup. 

It still stung. Kazuichi could tell, even though Fuyu hid it pretty well. Soda tried his best to check in on him when he could without being overbearing. 

The text read: ‘Do you want to hang out soon?’

Kaz took a second to think before answering with ‘ofc, u good?’

A few seconds later, ‘Mhm. Just want to hang out for a little bit. Is tomorrow okay?’

‘yea, i can do that’

‘Cool. Text when you’re ready, we can hang whenever.’

Soda liked the message and shook his hair out with his hands. Sometimes texting Fuyuhiko could be exhausting. He always sounds mad. 

Gundham cocks an eyebrow at his boyfriend, flashing him a concerned look. Kaz hands him the phone and he reads through the messages, nodding when he’s read them all. “That sounds lovely, I get the feeling he does not want to be alone.”

Kazuichi nods, snuggling up to his boyfriend again and sighing, his eyes closing. As Gundham begins to pet his consort’s hair, neither of the two realize that Teruteru has made his way into Nekomaru’s lap, cupping his face and kissing him feverishly. 

Soda lifts his head, smiling at Tanaka and looking into his eyes. He opens his mouth to say something, but is interrupted by a groan from Nekomaru and his eyes widen. He slowly turns his head to see what’s happened. They’re just kissing, but it seems to be getting more intense and the two guests quickly stand up with flushed faces.

“I… I believe me and my dark consort should- should be exiting at this time, we gratefully thank you for such a wonderful dinner experience.” Tanaka says, holding his partner’s hand, turning his head towards the door. 

Teruteru turns around on Maru’s lap with a small smile, waving. “Thanks for comin’! We’ll have to do this again soon!”

Soda nods and waves, flashing a smile before walking out of the house with Gundham, pulling the door shut behind them and letting out a nervous laugh. “God… they couldn’t have waited?”

“Well, that does not come as a surprise,” Gundham chuckles softly. 

The two walk to Tanaka’s car and enter. As soon as Kazuichi buckles up, a yawn escapes his mouth. He stretches his legs and curls his arms up by his face, leaning against the door of the car. Eyes heavy, his breathing starts to slow as Gundham starts to drive. He’s asleep.

With a glance over at his dark king, Gundham’s heart stops for a small moment. The position Kazuichi’s laying in leads Tanaka to believe briefly that the man has gotten motionsick. However, the worry dissipated as fast as it bubbled up when the dark lord realized his consort is simply asleep. 

Gundham gingerly places his hand on Kaz’s thigh with a sigh of relief. When the mechanic doesn’t give any sort of response, Tanaka knows he’s out cold. 

Soft, quiet hums emit from the driver, his stoic eyes unable to keep from wandering every so often to his muse, snoring softly in the passenger seat. The hums turn into the tune of a very familiar song to both of the occupants of the car. 

PDA by Interpol. It was the song that had played in the very same car when the two had awkwardly professed their feelings to one another. Gundham remembers it vividly: Kazuichi trembling with what he can only assume was nervousness, beads of sweat forming on his face, which had turned nearly red. He remembers how, shockingly, there were beads of cold sweat on his own forehead. He had hidden his flushed face with his scarff, spilling out words that bordered on nonsense. 

PDA was the first song Soda had shown Gundham. The song holds a very special place in the breeder’s heart. Humming the tune, he glances at his lover again. A small smile blooms on his face as he takes in the sight of his dreaming partner. The colorful city lights reflect and dance off of his skin, his surprisingly soft skin that Gundham can’t resist the urge to touch.

He caresses Kazuichi’s cheek as soft as he can, mumbling the words to the song. He had never considered singing to be a strong suit for himself but had started humming for Kaz when he got especially sleepy. The two have found that the gesture usually brings him a more peaceful sleep. 

Pulling the car into their parking spot, Tanaka releases himself from his seatbelt and reaches over to do the same for Soda, who has accumulated a small puddle of drool on his arm. He exits the car and opens Kaz’s door. Carefully, he lifts Soda up bridal style and closes the door with his foot. He shuffles a bit to grip his keys and hold Kazuichi steady before making his way up the stairs. 

Soda’s head bobs and sways slightly with every step, despite Tanaka’s attempts to hold him steady. The motion doesn’t see to bother him, though, as he is still fast asleep. 

After unlocking and opening their door, Gundham steps into the apartment and lets out a satisfied breath. He closes and locks the door again and, hearing excited squeaking, walks to his room. 

It might as well be Kazuichi’s room as well, he always sleeps in it with Tanaka and only really goes to his own room for clothes or to get ready. As soon as the dark lord steps foot into the room, the squeaks grow louder. 

Looking towards the big hamster cage that the happy noises emit from, Gundham places Soda on the bed as gently as possible. “Shhh, I am most delighted to see you again as well, my devas, but we must stay quiet, as our dark king is resting his body and mind. We must give him peace to do so.”

The hamsters all give some variation of a nod and quiet down. Carefully, the breeder takes off his lover’s shoes and places them by the door. Attempting to take off his jacket carefully, Gundham ends up with his arms wrapped around his lover once again. 

Letting out a loving chuckle, Tanaka cups Soda’s face and gently rubs it with his thumb. With his free hand, he gently taps Kazuichi’s waist. “I apologize for waking you, my beau, but your contact lenses need to be removed.”

Soda stirs, eyes closed and eyebrows furrowed. “Hm…?”

“Your contacts, Kazuichi.” A smile blooms on Gundham’s face.

“Oh, right…” Kaz sits up, rubbing his still-closed eyes, and begins to make his way to Gundham’s bathroom. 

Tanaka nudges off his own shoes and places them by his lover’s, before taking a seat at the vanity and beginning to take out his own contacts. Knowing Soda might take a while due to the sleepy haze, Gundham walks to his closet and begins changing into more comfortable clothes: a plain white t-shirt and black sweatpants. 

He tosses the clothes he wore into the laundry hamper right as Kazuichi stumbles into the room again, yawning and rubbing his head. Gundham laughs softly and the pink haired mechanic flops onto the bed and groans. “C’mere…”

“One moment, my consort, I must cleanse my face. I shall make haste, I will return before you know it,” Gundham coos, making his way towards the bathroom. 

Kaz lets out another groan. From his position on his stomach, he can watch his soulmate remove his makeup. Soda shuffles a bit to get a better, more comfortable view as Gundham works a washcloth on his face, removing the makeup and leaving suds behind. 

Kazuichi only realized his eyes closed when he felt the dark lord’s arms wrap around him from behind. Rather than struggling to open them again, Soda settled for emitting a soft hum and leaning into the embrace of his partner. 

“Sweetest dreams, my dark king. I shall hold and protect you into the night, and for many nights more.” 

He always said that right as Kazuichi drifted off, and it never failed to make the pink-haired man’s heart seem to skip a beat. This time, he managed a response, though it sounded slurred and thick with drowsiness. 

“I love you, teddy bear.”

The new nickname brought warmth to the taller man’s cheeks and a lethargic smile to his lips. The two fell asleep before any more words could be exchanged.

**Author's Note:**

> 4752 words!! wowie  
> aaAAAAA im sorry the ending was kinda rushed! i started to hurt rlly bad n wanted to get the chapter out already- working on chapter 4 asap B]


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